M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6

LifelineLifelineA Meeting on the Go

STAFFDeDe DeMoss Publications ManagerKevin McGuire Periodicals Editor/DesignerJennifer Nail Associate EditorMary Young Publications Assistant

Please direct submissions toLifeline, PO Box 44020, Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87174-4020 USA, or email info@oa.org

OA Lifeline The international magazine of Overeaters Anonymous®, Inc.®

Overeaters Anonymous Preamble

Overeaters Anonymous is a Fellowship of individuals who, through shared experience, strength, and hope, are recovering from compulsive overeating. We welcome everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively. There are no dues or fees for members; we are self-supporting through our own contributions, neither soliciting nor accepting outside donations. OA is not affiliated with any public or private organization, political movement, ideology, or religious doctrine; we take no position on outside issues. Our primary purpose is to abstain from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors and to carry the message of recovery through the Twelve Steps of OA to those who still suffer.

Lifeline presents experiences and opin-ions of OA members. Opinions expressed herein are not to be attributed to Overeaters Anonymous as a whole, nor does publica-tion of any article imply endorsement, either by Overeaters Anonymous or Lifeline. Manuscripts are invited, although no payment can be made nor can contributed matter be returned. Please include your full name and address with your letter or manuscript. For writers desiring anonymity in publication, indicate specifically whether this applies to name, city, state, and/or country. Manuscripts and letters sent to Lifeline are assumed to be intended for publication and subject to editing. All manuscripts and letters submitted become the property of Overeaters Anonymous, Inc., and are, therefore, unconditionally assigned to Overeaters Anonymous, Inc., for publication and copyright purposes. Back issues are $3.

Registered OA service bodies may reprint individual articles from Lifeline for limited personal and group use, crediting Lifeline and Overeaters Anonymous. Material from Lifeline may not be revised, recom-bined into other publications, or resold. All other uses require written permission from OA, Inc. Misuse of this material con-stitutes copyright infringement. Contact the WSO editorial office: 1-505-891-2664.

Lifeline, ISSN No. 1051-9467, is published monthly except June and December by Overeaters Anonymous, Inc., 6075 Zenith Court NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144-6424 USA. Subscription rates US, US Possessions: $23 per year. Canada priority air service: $29 per year. Outside US/Canada priority air service: $38 per year. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Lifeline, PO Box 44020, Rio Rancho, NM 87174-4020 USA. Printed in the United States.

© 2016 OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS®, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May/June 2016 Vol. 44 , No. 5 pg. 5

First Willing, Then Able 2To use the Tools, one first must know the Tools.

Available Tools 2Fitness Witness 3Forget Me Not 4

Attainable Actions 5Action plans come in all shapes and sizes.

Prep Time 5Situation-Specific 6Aspire More and Think 6Write, Camera—Action! 8

A Tool for Every Occasion 9There’s always a Tool ready to help, when it is sought.

Service Call 9

Call Out 9Sponsorship Share 10Raised Voices 11Divine Packing 11Miracle of Meetings 12Principle Consideration 13Applying Anonymity 14

Nourishing Body, Mind, and Spirit 14A plan of eating can totally change the flavor of each and every day.

Principle Portions 14The Difference That Satisfies 15Food Processer 16Travel Treat 17

OA Responsibility Pledge: A Hand Up 18Knowing what’s at stake makes ser-vice and sponsorship an easy call.

Stepping Out 19, 21 Living Traditions 20, 22Newcomers Corner 23

Taking the Spiritual Path 24For Discussion and Journaling 24Share It 25

Ser vice with a Smile 26Ask-It Basket 27Send Us Your Storie s! 27

Departments

About the New Back Cover of LifelineA few months ago, an OA member suggested creating space in Lifeline to attract

the still-suffering compulsive eater to a local meeting. We thought this was a great idea, and with the approval of OA’s Board of Trustees, we have changed the back cover of Lifeline. The new back cover will also feature either the Fifteen Questions or abridged text from Is Food a Problem for You? (#750).

We hope the change gives you another service opportunity, and we encourage you to leave a Lifeline, with permission, at your doctor’s office and elsewhere.

Groups and service bodies can also subscribe and make Lifeline part of their public information efforts, using our stories of experience, strength, and hope to attract newcomers.

Thank you for supporting Lifeline and for your service.

pg. 9 pg. 14

2 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Available Tools I was working outdoors the other day and noticed several

branches in my trees needed pruning. I went to my garage, selected a handsaw and lopping shears, and headed into the yard.

Fir

st W

illi

ng,then Able

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 3

found not only a way to release the weight but also a way to create a plan for how to live my life today. Early on, I heard some-one say, “The Tools stabilize me, and the Steps transform me.” Using the Tools daily keeps me spiritually fit and tuned in to my Higher Power.

I have a plan of eating. I write it down at night, give it to God, and in the morn-ing, I commit it to my sponsor. Then I’m done with my food. It is exactly enough.

I am blessed with the gift of sponsor-ship. I talk to my sponsor regularly, and my sponsees talk to me. We are all connected in a common solution. I am deeply grateful for the guidance I get from my sponsor. And I am grateful I can give it away.

Meetings are where I get to be with my people. I get to hear them share and talk about how they do life without compul-sively using food.

Telephone calls are also essential to my program. I make at least three outreach calls a day to stay connected to other people who are walking this path of recovery. Calls don’t have to be long and time-consuming, and they make such a difference in how I do each day.

I am so grateful for the literature. I especially love how the Big Book is an instruction manual for abstinence and life. The Big Book tells me how to work

The work was going well, but I found a couple of large limbs that needed to come down. I stretched way up and started sawing with the handsaw. The cutting was hard work because my saw wasn’t sharp and I couldn’t reach the limb very well. But I continued, with sawdust falling into my eyes and my arms getting fatigued.

And then it hit me: Here I was using this handsaw, and all the while I had a perfectly good chainsaw in the garage. Not only that, but I also had a nice ladder. I had two tools that were designed and sold for this kind of project sitting unused in the garage!

I tried to justify myself by saying I was getting a good workout by using the hand tools, but the truth is, I was just plain lazy. It hit me again: My recovery can be a lot like this. I have wonderful Tools that work perfectly in my recovery—among them sponsorship, meetings, telephone, and literature—but sometimes I’m too lazy to pick them up and use them.

I finished my tree trimming with the hand tools, but I decided Higher Power was showing me how silly I can be at times. I am recommitting to using the OA Tools that are sitting there, waiting for me to pick them up.

— Mark C., Winston–Salem, North Carolina USA

Fitness WitnessThe Big Book says we get to keep

what we have “so long as we keep in fit spiritual condition” (Alcoholics Anony-mous, 4th ed., p. 85). Doing my spiritual exercises stands between me and that first bite!

I reached my maintenance weight, having released 125 pounds (57 kg), after years of struggling with food, weight, body size, and life in general. In OA, I

“The Tools stabilize me, and the Steps transform me.”

4 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

the Steps and what I can expect if I do. It tells me how and what to pray and how to interact with people. I need its stories to help me remember the pain and despera-tion of addiction and the surrender and hope of recovery.

Each day in my writing time, I give thanks for the day before as I recount it, and I give thanks for the current day as I describe it.

I do service. I reach out to others, help at meetings, and give rides. I am prom-ised “a life of sane and happy usefulness” (The Tools of Recovery, p. 7). I am a self-

centered addict who needs to get out of myself. Service allows me to do that.

And I practice anonymity. I don’t share who said what in a meeting or on out-reach calls. I don’t consider myself to be any better or any worse than anyone else. We are all equal.

Ours is a program of living happy, joyous, and free. This abstinence and recovery is a beautiful, precious gift. My job is to take care of it and use the Tools to be spiritually fit today.

Thank you, God!— Sue E., Mesa, Arizona USA

Forget Me NotWhen reflecting on our

precious Tools of recovery, I always forget one (probably the one I need to concentrate on most). So I use a mnemonic device to help me recall all of the Tools:

And Action planPlease Plan of eatingSpend SponsorshipMore MeetingsTime TelephoneWith WritingLove LiteratureAnd AnonymityService Service

If you can learn this simple phrase, the Tools will always guide your days.

— Sophie H., Cherry Hill, New Jersey USA

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 5

Prep TimeI recently attended an OA workshop about working an action

plan. The leader shared many examples of how she uses this Tool in her recovery, while other members asked questions and shared their experience as well. I felt inspired in this roomful of recovery, but I also felt a nagging worry about such plans. After all, my self-will has created mega-plans before, and then run me ragged trying to execute them. Sometimes “plan” is a four-letter word for me.

As I continued to listen and write notes in my journal (as I do in OA meetings), it dawned on me: Things go better with preparation. My workshop went better because someone prepared the event, someone prepared the space, and the leader prepared what she shared. Maybe planning is simply preparing? That’s when HP inspired this word game:

P—Prepare forL—LifeA—Ahead of timeN—NowIn recovery, I am learning to ac-

cept what life is planning for me, to be prepared for the way things might go.

I’m used to carrying an umbrella in case it rains or charging my phone before it dies completely. Now I arrange my food ahead of time, choose an outfit the night before, and go to meetings even if I don’t feel that I need to. This is preparing. This is acceptance.

Program has helped me to prepare for life ahead of time now so I don’t feel like a victim of life’s plans. This insight is vitally important because when I feel like a vic-tim, I’m prone to turn to food for solace. Preparing ahead of time is surrendering to a lifestyle guided by a Higher Power. I don’t have to exhaust myself in head-strong self-will. When I use a little bit of

6 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

to act out. My first was for travel. After re-turning from a vacation when my behav-ior was distressing to my family, I wrote an inventory of my challenges with travel,

focusing on specific details that seemed to trigger inappropriate responses. I wrote about the feelings and motivations un-derneath. I shared my writing and prayed to have my shortcomings removed. Then I designed an action plan detailing specific triggers and actions I could take to handle them better. I saw I had been trying too hard to accommodate others and also saw that taking little actions, like unpack-ing my suitcase, helped unclutter my mind and made me more serene.

I learned from my success with my Travel Action Plan. I have since devel-oped plans that help me with holidays, with my husband’s looming retirement, with the challenges of having an adult child living in my home, and so on. I find that by referring to what has worked for me in the past and tweaking the plan as needed, I don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time a situation occurs.

— Anonymous 

Aspire More and ThinkAs a returnee to OA after many years

of “research,” I discovered the action

my energy today to prepare for what’s ahead tomorrow, I find a much happier road of happy destiny.

Thank you, program. Thank you, HP. And thank you, my new favorite Tool, action plan!

— Mary L., Seattle, Washington USA

Situation–SpecificEarly in my recovery, I realized my

yearning to be spontaneous kept me in bondage to my disease. I put things off until life got out of control; then my anxi-ety escalated, my character defects flared up, and the food started talking to me.

I learned to make a daily action plan that organized healthy meals (with enough time to prepare them) around other responsibilities; I also created blocks of time for other program actions, self-care, and enjoyment. This is now as natural to me as breathing.

I decided to develop specific action plans for recurring situations that are always hard for me, which is when I tend

“I decided to develop specific action plans for recurring situations that are always hard for me.”

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 7

plan Tool. I love it. Here’s an action plan I made for myself: To get and stay absti-nent, I ASPIRE MORE and THINK.

When I feel an oncoming urge to eat compulsively, I:

A—Allow six minutes before eating. I set timers in the kitchen and other places I might go for extra food. During this time, I ask myself if I really want to eat.

S—Steep a cup of tea or make a cup of hot water with lemon to sip. I keep teas that I like in a tin by the fridge and put some in baggies to keep in my other eat-ing places.

P—Pray for abstinence and to be relieved of the com-pulsion to overeat. I post a prayer on my fridge. I change it periodically so it doesn’t become overfamiliar and invisible.

I—Inhale deeply five times. Rest. Inhale deeply five times more.

R—Read some-thing, especially program literature. I keep a program book in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag! I keep literature in other eating places too.

E—Examine the last thoughts I was having, things I was doing, and things going on just before I got an urge to overindulge. I jot down my last thought in a notebook.

M—Make a program call. I keep num-bers on the door of the fridge and in my eating places.

O—Okay whatever feelings I am having. I post sticky notes with positive

affirmation messages, like “Feelings are okay,” and change them often.

R—Remember priorities and long-term goals. I list them and post them.

E—Escape to another room and modify the triggering situation. For example, I start doing my nails while I watch TV, or I turn off the TV. I go to bed and rest, or I dance, stretch, and exercise for a few minutes using upbeat music.

Also, I don’t forget to THINK:T—Thank my Higher Power for each

time and each day I stay abstinent.H—Heap praise on myself for making

the next right choice.

I—Involve my OA family, my Higher Power, and other supportive people in my struggle with this cunning and baffling illness. I choose people who help me, not ones who shame me. The phone is my friend. I call lots of different people so I won’t wear anyone out.

N—Never give up, because the miracle is happening.

K—Keep trying my best. And I keep coming back!

— Stephania S.

8 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Write, Camera—Action!I want to let you know how much the action plan Tool means to me.

I tried OA fifteen years ago but just wasn’t ready. When I came back to the program, I read about the action plan in my Newcomer Packet. I started using it the very next day. Since then, I’ve been abstinent with only two breaks (early on and fortunately short). Now I am blessed with more than nine months of continuous abstinence.

Every morning I write my action plan on a whiteboard. I take a photo with my phone’s camera and text it to my food buddy. It really helps keep me ac-countable through the day. It’s also teaching me flexibility, because if some-thing happens that requires a change, I text it to my buddy.

— Susan P., Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

Action Plan. Photo by Susan P., Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

A Tool for Every Occasion

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 9

My disease causes me to feel inad-equate, so I am sometimes at a loss for words during conversations. I am afraid of being a bore. My disease says, “You’re not an interesting conversationalist. Don’t bother calling anyone.” And as a compulsive overeater, I often lapse into a desire for isolation. I find myself retreat-ing into my head.

A commitment to making phone calls ensures I rejoin the world and connect with other compulsive overeaters.

I remember something helpful a speaker once said: “I make calls not because it helps me, but because it is a

service to the person I’m calling.” Phone calls may always be a challenge for me, but my recovery has taught me I must do the thing I do not want to do.

— Kathy W., Long Island, New York USA

Call Out Last year, I made an outreach call

during a difficult time. It was my first call to this particular member. Her tone was cold and distant. After a few minutes, I re-alized I wasn’t getting what I needed from the conversation, so I thanked her for her time and ended the call.

Service CallThe telephone is the hardest Tool for me to use. I have stubbornly

resisted this Tool during all my ten years in program. Even in my teenage years, I did not like answering calls from my girlfriends.Whoever heard of a teenage girl who doesn’t like to talk with friends on the phone?

Telephone

Sponsorship

A Tool for Every Occasion

Anonymity

Plan of Eating

Writing

Literature

Service

Action Plan

Meetings

10 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

I remembered what a wise member once told me: “You can’t get milk from the hardware store.” It was obvious that the member I’d called was at that moment a hardware store. After chatting with her, I was still thirsty for milk.

I still needed help and one Tool is not always enough. With that in mind, I picked up the phone again and made another two calls. During those calls my feelings of despair lifted. The clear beauty of recovery shined through. 

At the next meeting, the person who had taken my first call came up to me and said, “Sorry I wasn’t able to be available for you. Things were really rough for me that day. I hope you’re doing okay today.” I thanked her for her kind words and asked how she was doing. There was no need to hash out my feelings because I had already worked through them. Instead, I was able to be of service to her.

Just a few days ago, she called me to share one of her hard times. I was grateful and happy to provide her a safe place. Be-ing of service is another great Tool!

— Elizabeth B., Santa Ana, California USA

Sponsorship ShareI believe the OA Fellowship tells us

that all recovering members have two

things in common: They have a sponsor, and they are willing to be a sponsor.

Being a sponsor has given me so much more than I could ever give. I have been touched by the love and appreciation I receive from those I sponsor. In reaching

out to them, I learn about me. Each person I sponsor gives me a chance to share my experience, strength, and hope. My own program and recovery are strengthened by this focus.

Sponsorship also gives me an op-portunity to give back what my spon-sors have so selflessly given me. Often, someone I’m sponsoring shares an experience or struggle that reminds me how blessed I am to have found a way

out of that struggle. By sharing my path with another, I strengthen my personal recovery.

Recently, I expressed how much I, as a longtimer in the program, missed the closeness I felt with some friends over the years. Shortly after sharing this sadness at a meeting, I found myself given new chances to sponsor members with whom I felt a special connection—rather like God answering a prayer.

When I felt fear over the time com-mitment involved in being a sponsor, I turned the issue over to my Higher Power. I trusted that my willingness would not lead to me being overwhelmed, and I

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 11

prayed for the courage to be available to those who feel I can help them. So far, God has been doing a great job in this area of sponsorship.

As a result, I now have the courage to turn over other issues to my Higher Power. My experience has taught me not to be afraid to sponsor another person. It might lead you to find your best self, a happy place to be!

— Edited and reprinted from OA Today newsletter, St. Louis Bi-State Area Inter-group, February 2014

Raised VoicesMy sponsor asked me to consider

the Tools of literature and writing. Read-ing OA literature and writing my thoughts about what I read are essential to my re-covery as a compulsive overeater. Here is my perspective on my fifty-eighth day of abstinence:

Reading literature is another way of listening to someone’s voice. With OA literature, I can train my ears to listen actively—I can join hands with the writer. The writer is speaking only to me, and if I don’t get it, I listen again (reread), asking my Higher Power to open my mind and heart. At OA meet-ings I am learning to listen, soaking up words like a sponge; reading too is a form of OA fellowship for me.

Writing has a voice also, but it is my

voice, a way of speaking my truth. At its best, writing is like traveling to a new country and exploring new ideas to get me past the rut and lies about food and eating. When I write as a compulsive overeater, writing becomes a way of speaking without interruption; it takes me places I need to go.

— Anonymous, New Mexico USA

Divine PackingLack of connection to my OA Fel-

lowship is my biggest challenge while on vacation. My regular meeting isn’t available, and my cell phone doesn’t work for making outreach calls when I travel outside the country. Isolation from other OA members, minus my usual routine, is a dangerous formula for me.

My last trip to Germany was quite challenging. I was staying with friends who wanted to begin activity early in the morning. As difficult as it was for me to set a boundary, I stayed in bed long enough to say my prayers every day (Step Eleven). I asked my Higher Power to walk with me, talk through me, and most important, align my will with Higher Power’s.

Thank goodness I’d had the foresight to pack some Lifeline magazines! The articles were little bursts of recovery in my day, and the magazines are light enough

“By sharing my path with another, I strengthen my personal recovery.”

12 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

for easy packing. Changing for dinner was a perfect time to squeeze in a little reading (Tool of literature). Getting ready for bed gave me another few moments when I could connect with my fellows. I’d brought a small stack of pre-addressed envelopes and blank note cards. Each night I wrote a quick note (Tool of writing) to let another fel-low know where my head was and what I was doing for my recovery.

I have a vivid memory of one tough night. After a long day of social activ-ity, food was calling my name. When I noticed a particular trigger food was on my mind for the fourth or fifth time, I knew it was time to write to my sponsor (Tool of sponsorship).

In the letter to my sponsor, I shared about the thoughts that were eating me. I committed to taking the next right action, which was saying the Third Step Prayer and the Serenity Prayer. After sealing the envelope and fulfilling my commitment, I felt a great sense of relief.

My Higher Power was with me even though I was thousands of miles from home. I guess I packed some of the di-vine. Thanks for letting me share.

— Elizabeth B., Santa Ana, California USA

Miracle of MeetingsFor me, meetings are the essential

Tool, the base of the program. Without meetings, we would have nothing on which to hang the other Tools. Without meetings, we would have no ground from which to climb the Steps. Without meet-ings, we would have no hope of gaining serenity and no chance of attaining the abstinence necessary for recovery.

A meeting is much more than a group of compulsive overeaters sitting around a

table with no food on it. It is a meeting of minds, hearts, and kindred spirits.

Meetings are lifelines that stretch from the insanity of disease to the serenity of recovery. Like people, meetings have dif-ferent personalities and different focuses. Go to lots of meetings. Go several times to the same meeting. You will get different perspectives, ideas, and gifts of insight. The more you go, the more you’ll get and the more you can give.

Members share their experience,

“Without meetings, we would have no hope of gaining serenity.”

“Without a daily focus on anonymity, I would be unable to recover.”

strength, and hope at meetings, but they also share much more. They share sorrow and joy, courage and despair, pain and progress, spirituality and practical sug-gestions, friendship and camaraderie.

Not only can we receive all this at a meeting, but also we get to share our gifts with others. Nothing helps me remain abstinent like the boost I get when some-one comes up after a meeting and says, “Thank you for what you said; it helped me so much.” The true miracle of meet-ings is the opportunity to give back.

— Edited and reprinted from Recovery Today newsletter, Greater Seattle Inter-group, Summer 1998

Principle ConsiderationWhen I use anonymity as a Tool,

it helps me apply all the other Tools in a way that places “principles above personalities" (Tradition Twelve). Use of this Tool helps me do my service, attend meetings, be a sponsor, respect others’ eating choices, listen on the telephone, keep my writing focused, and read the literature with an open mind. In this way, I access the power of the Steps, free from personal judgments and personality con-flicts. Without a daily focus on anonymity, which builds true humility within me, I would be unable to recover, because my own judgment and personality intrude. Using anonymity allows me to use the Twelve Steps and frees me from the need to analyze them.

Remembering always that I am a

compulsive eater, no better or worse than any other compulsive eater, keeps me open to the necessity of doing the Steps every moment of my life. I use anonym-ity by freeing myself of personality and focusing on principle. Personality tells me I am different and should get special

consideration from others. Principle tells me that I am here to serve others and they are the ones who require my special con-sideration. When I can live in service to others, free from the need to serve myself, I can live in abstinence and have a life that is “happy, joyous, and free” (Alcohol-ics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 133). Doing the Steps frees me from the need to serve myself. Anonymity is the Tool that helps me do the Steps most effectively.

— Anonymous

May/June 2016 13

14 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Honesty—being honest with my spon-sor and myself about what I’m eating every day. There’s nothing quite like it.

Hope—hoping I can manage my food and life one day at a time.

Faith—believing the plan of eating my sponsor or health professional gave me will work for me as I see it work for others.

Courage—giving this plan of eating a fair go, even though every diet I’ve been on hasn’t worked.

Integrity—saying what I intend to eat,

Principle PortionsA plan of eating is only one

of the Tools, but it’s a great introduction to working the program when worked diligently. Ever since I began using a weighed-and-measured plan and calling it in to a sponsor every day (a process I resisted mightily!), I have been noticing the lessons it teaches me about the Principles behind the Steps.

Applying AnonymityI believe the most important Tool

in program is anonymity. Using this Tool made me free to grow—and I seemed to change my opinion on any given subject once a week.

At first I cried at every meeting. It was God’s way of shutting my mouth so my ears could open. I began to get a handle on my newfound freedom and learn who I was. I never heard criti-cism or condemnation for my chang-ing opinions. When I was asked to give back what I had received by leading and qualifying, I felt instant fear. Could I trust others—in a way I could not even trust my own family—to keep what I said in confidence? I heard at meetings, “Do you practice anonymity?” and “Do you have faith that God will help you?”

My first year in OA was full of won-ders and blessings, plus the pains of growing up. In my second year I walked through the Steps. With God’s help, I gradually opened up, sometimes in giant steps, sometimes in baby steps.

As I grew, anonymity’s meaning broadened, entering into every issue. I applied anonymity to each Step as I worked it, not comparing or judging others. I began to learn the meaning of respect. In the process of doing Step Four I claimed my part, and anonym-ity became more and more important. I tried out things I heard and stayed positive, trusting that anonymity would keep me safe to continue growing.

I now pass along in safety what God has given me. Anonymity is the reason I have remained in program, able to pass it on.

— Edited and reprinted from The Road to Recovery newsletter, Westches-ter United Intergroup, November 2004

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 15

and then following through (or owning up when I don’t).

Willingness—giving up my precon-ceived ideas of what works for food and life, and being willing and open to explor-ing new ideas.

Humility—being teachable and learning other ways exist for doing things. Becom-ing aware that we are all equal, with none better or worse, just different; that goes for plans of eating too.

Self-discipline—learning to limit what I eat and waiting until mealtimes to eat in-stead of indulging in the instant gratifica-tion that accompanies this disease.

Love—learning that others love me as I am, and learning to love myself by doing the right thing with my food and my life.

Perseverance—sticking to the plan of eating and abstinence no matter what, knowing food will not make any situation better; this is how it needs to be for long-term recovery, only one day at a time.

Spiritual Awareness—learning I can’t do this on my own, today or ever; learning that I need a Higher Power and knowing

this makes the difference between going on a diet and using a plan of eating while I work the program.

Service—sharing my recovery with others, sponsoring others and listening to their plans of eating, as well as just staying in recovery and showing this program does work if I work it.

— Anonymous

The Difference That SatisfiesSometimes it’s quite hard to see

the difference between a plan of eating, which says what I’m going to eat and in what quantity, and a diet, which also says what I’m going to eat and in what quantity. For me, the difference is about purpose and how I feel about it.

In the old days, the diets I went on required hypervigilance and strict control—by me. Diets seemed to require constant willpower; I got tired of all that effort and found myself thinking about food all the time. I’d think about the food I wasn’t eating and start to lust after it. For me, binges always started with a

16 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Best of all, there’s a sense that my HP is with me at every meal. I’ve taken to thanking him for the food and my absti-nence before I eat. I also like to maintain conscious contact with every bite of the food, really tasting and enjoying it, as part of this thanksgiving.

— Anonymous, New Zealand

Food ProcessorThis morning I was struck by the

thought that preparation is a key element in my plan of eating and has a significant place in my daily action plan.

Before OA, I made meals, but it wasn’t the same. Now, I am willing to commit the time it takes to think out a menu; shop for the ingredients (or, lucky me, harvest many fruits and veggies from my own organic garden!); and wash, peel, chop, slice, bake, simmer, and weigh. Nothing is thrown together at the last minute. There is joy in preparing. There is gratitude in the process. There is calmness in dishing out. You know, I even chew my food now-adays. I think my new behavior is directly linked to this new pattern of deliberately

and methodically carrying out all steps necessary to serving up a plate without rushing. There is no adrenaline pumping when I pick up my fork. I am learning “I

thought. Then it was a small step from feeling tired, grouchy, and hungry, to succumbing. I’d really go for it and binge on everything.

Here’s the difference: Now, my plan of eating is designed to give me every-thing I need in order to satisfy my body with optimal nutrition, so it’s naturally abundant and sufficient. There is no lack in a food plan, only boundaries that I need for my peace of mind. Because my plan of eating contains everything my body needs, it has satisfying quantities and balance, so my body responds by not craving particular foods. I do get naturally hungry just before mealtimes, but this is a good feeling and helps me enjoy my meal more. Over time, I’ve found that I prefer to eat the food on my plan of eating instead of alternatives, such as corporate-catered lunches, which are often really unbalanced.

Between meals, my mind is free from food thoughts, and I can get on with liv-ing my life to the fullest. I’ve developed a trust that the next meal will arrive and satisfy me. I love the routine of that, and it appeals to my inner child, who feels looked after.

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 17

am worth it!” I am learning, one day at a time, to “work it.”

I am thankful each time Higher Power graces me with awareness of yet another miracle that program has brought into my life. Prayers for our continued recovery, yours and mine!

— K., Canada

Travel TreatTraveling to the OA Region One As-

sembly was a perfect opportunity for me to practice navigating an airport without compulsively wanting to eat. I am really glad I had my plan of eating in place. Arriving at the airport two hours early sometimes leaves me with time on my hands. The smells of airport foods can arouse compulsiveness out of the blue! But this time it was not a problem. I had my meditation book and a copy of pages 83–88 from the Big Book, and I had extra time to browse the bookstore, which is always fun.

Boarding the plane and getting settled went well. Then we had a delay of one hour and forty-five minutes sitting on the runway. Lunchtime came, and I was glad I had brought my own healthy meal with veggies and fruit (no more greasy airplane food for me). I was grateful to have a plan of eating and Higher Power with me; I could sit back and enjoy a leisurely lunch.

At last we were airborne. Arriving in Se-attle two hours late, I discovered my bus had already ended service for the night; there was not another until morning. In the past, this situation would have given me license to eat everything in sight. Again Higher Power came to the rescue. I had my plan of eating with me, and time to ask God for help with this dilemma.

I made many phone calls and talked to a kind soul who suggested another transit

option that would get me close to my destination later that evening. After some gratitude prayers, I figured it would be best to find something to eat so I wouldn’t arrive at 10 p.m. starving. Of course the airport had all that “quick food,” which used to be appealing, but I had my plan of eating. I was able to find something abstinent and sit quietly to wait until I could catch that ride. God really does take care of things if I just let him.

In the past, I would have scoured the airport for all the foods it offered. Going on a trip or vacation used to be an excuse to eat all my forbidden foods. I would diet right up until I went and then “treat” myself after being so good with my diet. Today I know that is not the way to treat myself. Today, using the plan of eating Tool, I treat myself with respect, taking care to put healthy food into my body.

Thank you, OA and Higher Power, for showing me a new way of living and traveling.

— Edited and reprinted from The Heartbeat of Recovery newsletter, Region One, Winter 2006

18 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Q How can taking the Responsibility Pledge help

you with your recovery?

When I reflect on my life before I embraced recovery in Overeaters Anonymous, I can only describe it as a vast, dark, dry, soulless wasteland. My old life ended on June 9, 2009, the day of my second entry into Overeaters Anonymous. I was immediately absti-nent and this time (one day at a time) it “took.” I’m not sure why . . . perhaps because I was so deliriously happy to be back home where I belong.

After only three weeks, I was asked to be a sponsor. She was a newcomer and saw something in me she liked. I’d never done the Steps, but I immediately got a sponsor and went to work.

Shortly after that, I started serving at different levels—first at meetings, then in my intergroup, and then for my region—not because I had to, but because I wanted to serve. I came back into recovery at age 65 not knowing how much time I had left. So I jumped in with everything I had, to learn and expe-rience everything I could—and share it!

Over the past six years, I’ve been asked to sponsor on many occasions, and I never say no. My reasoning is that I’ve been in quicksand (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 8), so I know firsthand what it is like to feel no hope. In the Big Book, it also says “What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God” (p. 28). I grabbed onto that flimsy reed, and I have not let go. It pulled me from the quicksand.

There are countless promises in the Big Book, all of which have come true for me as a result of working all Twelve Steps. My recovery and spiritual con-nection have to be the most important parts of my life, and then the rest just falls into place. It’s sometimes bumpy, but I’m equipped now to deal; I have lots of sisters and brothers, all of whom love to help.

We learn early on that we must carry our message to others in order to keep the most precious gift we’ve been given. This is our primary purpose. Our differ-ences are not meant to divide us but to strengthen us; we are one—you and I.

I’m thankful I’ve lived long enough to experience recovery in Overeaters Anonymous. I’m delighted each and every day. For today and every day hereafter, I pledge to always extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible.

— Ruth D., Post Falls, Idaho USA

Editor’s Note: OA’s 2016 Strategic Plan includes a focus on the Responsibility Pledge. Region chairs and members of the Board of Trustees are contributing one article per issue on this theme.

OA Responsibility Pledge

A Hand UpAlways to extend the hand and heart of OA to all who share my compulsion; for this I am responsible.

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 19

Stepping OutS t e p

5

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Seeing My Part When I arrived in OA, I was full of

anger, resentment, blame, guilt, and a lot of other negative emotions. When someone did a “wrong” to me, it was his or her fault and never mine. Everything that happened to me was not my fault.

Life wasn’t good to me; I was always the innocent person being hurt. When I found out that in Step Five I had to look at my part in the pattern, I was confused. I wasn’t responsible for people treating me badly and doing the wrong thing; I had no part in what they did to me.

My sponsor helped me work that Fifth Step. I looked carefully and saw selfish-ness, self-centeredness, dishonesty, and other character defects. At the end of my work, I felt so much lighter and freer. As the promises state: “We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 83).

Afterward at meetings, I kept shar-ing about how much that Step meant to me. It taught me so much about myself. I had been blind to my defects. Through this process I learned to accept and love myself for who I am, not a bad person but a very sick person recovering in this program.

Step Five has helped me find natural happiness—I used to rely on others to

make me happy and felt resentful if they did not fulfill my expectations. Now I have a great big smile on my face and just want to bounce all the time like a bubbly cartoon character.

Now when I feel angry or resentful at a person or situation, I sit down and ask myself what my part is. I have a very honest HP who never fails to let me know. Then I can make amends if I need to. If I have trouble letting go, I turn to page 417 of the Big Book and read about accep-tance. Until I accept everything as it is and not how I want it to be, I have to keep praying to my HP for acceptance. I can’t change anyone except myself.

I have worked all Twelve Steps now, and I still maintain that Step Five was the best Step I ever worked. It was a real eye-opener to the true me. It also gave me freedom, peace, and serenity. I can let go of the past and live in each minute of the day, enjoying life to the fullest.

— Julie B., Adelaide, South Australia Australia

Be a Lifeline Rep. Email or call the WSO at info@oa.org or 1-505-891-2664.

G I V E S E R V I C E PROMOTE RECOVERY

20 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

LIVING TRADITIONS

Tra d i t i o n

5Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.

The Most Important PersonI love OA meetings. They’re

places to feel accepted, speak my truth, catch up with program friends, and feel a warm glow. Meetings have

also given me chances to practice new skills in service positions and to donate money to help OA as a whole.

However, Tradition Five reminds me that none of those functions are the primary purpose of a meeting. A meeting has only one primary purpose: to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers. Notice it doesn’t say to carry “the” message or “OA’s” message. The Fifth Tradition says that a meeting should carry “its” message. To me, this means each meeting has its own great message, one that comes from what the meeting members do and say. Most important, a meeting’s message comes from how its members treat that still-suffering com-pulsive overeater, whether newcomer or longtimer.

A meeting communicates a message of recovery when, besides following the Steps and Traditions, its members do the following:

• Welcome newcomers, introduce themselves, and share their stories.

• Be real, humble, compassionate, and program-focused when they share.

• Phone or email the people in the meeting who are struggling with food or who haven’t attended in a while.

• Remember the pain and humiliation that brought them in, and identify with other sufferers.

On the other hand, a meeting commu-

nicates a less desirable message when its members chat only with friends, neglect the newcomer, or ignore someone they know is struggling with the program.

Tradition Five says to me that the still-suffering compulsive overeater is the most important person in the room. It’s not the person who seems to have her act togeth-er, or the person who has a beautiful body weight, or the person who speaks with the most humor and polish, no matter how attractive those people may be.

In a healthy meeting, we seek out the person who’s suffering, and we carry our message to that person. We make it a point to meet any newcomers after the meeting and listen to their questions or concerns. We air our own problems and mistakes and difficulties. We identify with the pain others are going through, and we choose to stand with them in that ragged, broken place, rather than pretend everything is comfortable all the time. We share our experience, strength, and hope in a personal way.

In short, we give unconditional love, the same love we’ve received in the rooms. When a person is suffering, that’s the message they need and deserve.

— Joan P., Mountain View, California USA

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 21

Stepping OutS t e p

6

Were entirely ready to have God remove these defects of character.

Wishy-WashyI recently had to change out my dish-

washer. That doesn’t seem like a big thing, but I put it off as long as I could. I used duct tape for months to keep the front panel on. Even after I needed extra rinses to get the dishes clean, I still took a couple of weeks to order a new dishwasher.

Then I had anxiety about the new one coming. It would be different. Would it work as well? Would I have trouble loading it? Maybe it wouldn’t be as good as the old one.

I really didn’t have the anxiety long, because in our program, I have learned to identify my feelings and figure out what to do. I realized I was afraid of the change and wanted to hold on to what I was comfortable with.

Once I realized this, it was easy to move on. The old dishwasher wasn’t working and didn’t even look good because of the duct tape. Why would I want to keep it? Just because it was known to me? By doing Step Six, I learned that I sometimes want to keep my old way, even if it doesn’t work for a new healthy life, simply because I am comfort-able with the old and it is known to me.

Thank you so much for OA, where I am learning how to live in ways that help me move forward and be healthy.

— Marjorie K., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan USA

Forty inspiring stories of experience, strength, and hope, plus additional content. Read by real OA members and professionally recorded and mastered.

LIVING TRADITIONS

Tra d i t i o n

6An OA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the OA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

SimplicityWith money, property, or

prestige comes responsibility. We already have enough responsibility. When anyone, anywhere, reaches for help, I want the hand of OA to always be there, and for that I am responsible.

I struggle along well enough, one day at a time, in this world of confusion and mis-understanding. I get some relief from my addiction, and then suddenly I become an authority on matters that have nothing to do with our primary purpose. I am like that. I am easily distracted. I have the best intentions. Wouldn’t it be great if we could rally behind this cause or that movement? C’mon, everyone! Join me! Join me and my bank-rupt idealism and my insatiable appetite for more. More what? Everything!

Let’s not louse this thing up.The Traditions not only allow us to play well together, but also they deepen our

experience with humility. This expression of humility, staying right-sized, keeps our focus on helping others and sharing that which has been freely given to us, from one addict to another. This is our primary purpose. Carrying a message of depth and weight requires simplicity.

— Edited and reprinted from OA Today newsletter, St. Louis Bi-State Area Intergroup, June 2015

OA History Bundle!

Add official OA history to your literature collection.

$17.50!$19.50Order by June 1 for this special price on the original OA Handbook and Beyond Our Wildest Dreams (Item #630).

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22 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 23

Newcomers: Send your experiences and con-cerns to Newcomers Corner. See the table-of-

contents page for contact information.Newcomers Corner

Give Love A ChanceWhen I attended my first OA meeting, I

was beyond nervous, and I was overwhelmed with debilitating shame. Overweight since age 7, I had tried every diet and magical fix

available. Each failure chipped away at what little self-esteem I had, and the “mean girl” in my head would remind me that I was worth-less and ultimately unlovable. As I walked into the meeting that morning, the mean girl was telling me I was wasting my time.

Several people were already there, and I was greeted and warmly welcomed. The space was full of comfy seating, and I chose a seat toward the back so I could silently observe. To my dismay the leader sat down about a foot away. “Great,” I thought, “Now everyone will see me.” I had been counting on invisibility so I could sneak out if I didn’t like what I heard. The leader welcomed everyone to the meeting and shared his story.

I was shocked. His admissions were my deep, dark secrets. He talked about his life before program and how powerless he was over his compulsions. The more he revealed, the more uncomfortable I became because it was glaringly obvious I belonged there. Then he spoke about the serenity and abstinence he’d found in OA and how the Twelve Steps had granted him freedom from the prison his life had become.

As others shared, I felt my walls crum-bling. These people no longer seemed like strangers. My voice was shaky as I found a little bravery in me and volunteered to share. With eyes downcast, I repeated the harsh words of the mean girl who’d berated me for over two decades. I truly believed I was worth less than someone

skinnier than me and my accomplish-ments were nullified by my lack of self-control. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I confessed my greatest fears. “I feel so hopeless and alone. Why would anyone love me? I’m just a waste of space.”

After the conclusion of the meeting, members offered hugs and commisera-tions. They told me to keep coming back and give the program a chance. The warmth, love, and acceptance I felt in that room inspired me to attend more meet-ings. With each passing day, my gratitude for the people and the program swelled.

Today I have six months of abstinence, a feat I never thought possible. I have a wonderful sponsor. The mean girl in my head is much quieter now and easier to ignore. I am no longer lonely or hope-less; I no longer have to be a slave to my disease. Letting go was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, and I still try to take control sometimes, until I remember there is a power greater than myself to take care of me.

Now it’s my turn to welcome newcom-ers who may be unsure of themselves. I will never forget my first meeting and the feeling of coming home.

— Hannah L., Portland, Oregon USA

24 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Like the writer of Available Tools (p. 2), have you used a handsaw when a chainsaw was required? For you, what are the best times and situations to put each Tool to use?

For Discussion . . . AND JOURNALING

Spiritual PathTaking the

Willing ReleaseIn the Twelve Steps and Twelve Tra-

ditions of Alcoholics Anonymous it says, “No man, we saw, could believe in God and defy Him, too. Belief meant reliance, not defiance” (p. 31).

This is interesting because it clarifies the difference between understand-ing the concept of a higher power, and actually believing in a higher power. To truly believe is to accept that my Higher Power’s will is absolute. I cannot ask my heart to beat or stop beating—my Higher Power makes sure it does.

I have fallen down in the past when I was not willing to totally accept my Higher Power’s will for me. I tried to defy or challenge it at almost every turn. Some examples include ignoring strong messages that a man was not right for me, pursuing a career I found terrifying, not accepting who I was, denying my shortcomings and strengths, ignoring the blessings sitting in front of me to pursue fantasy and false status, not accepting how I look, and trying to control oth-ers’ perceptions and manipulate those around me in order to get love.

Prior to OA, I made others, my career, or myself my higher power. All failed me at some point. Even within OA, the quality of my faith was wrong because I thought I believed, but actually I wasn’t

willing to ask for my Higher Power’s will. I couldn’t accept the possibility of not getting what I wanted. I refused to experi-ence hunger or not eating what and when I wanted. I refused to let go of activities or fantasies connected to ego. I was afraid I might not get what I thought I needed! I felt it simply wasn’t possible to let go of these things.

 And yet surrendering my food at last (which for me means following a work-able plan of eating not designed by me) formed the foundation of what “letting go” can offer. I am abstinent, an absolute and deeply humbling miracle. 

I see how handing over my will around food gives me the miracle of abstinence. The rest of my little plans and designs have kept me ill for so long that letting them go now seems possible. In fact, not knowing or trying to control outcomes and just trusting has become easier and more of what I seek each day.

I have sustained abstinence and a deep sense of peace and serenity at long last. Thank you, OA.

— Sarah S., United Kingdom

-

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 25

Convention is Calling for You!

Don't miss OA’s largest

gathering and celebration

of recovery.

See oa.org for our special hotel rate

and all event information.

Questions? Send them by email to

conventioninfo @oa.org.

SHARE ITLetters must have a complete name and address. Please specify if your name, city, state, province, and/or country should remain anonymous if published.

Great Minds, Late MindsI have to laugh. I misunderstood the deadline for “Abstinence Through the Ages”

articles, so what a surprise it was when the February 2016 issue arrived and the topic of the piece I was working on was already printed! Not only that, but “Abstinence Adjustments” (p. 5) pretty much followed the course of my own abstinence and plan of eating. So thank you for giving me a laugh and a touch of humility.

— Betty D.

New Book!

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Service with a Smile

Growing Gratitude“Life will take on new meaning. To

watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends—this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives” (Alco-holics Anonymous, 4th ed., p. 89).

This Twelfth Step promise in the Big Book has been my reality for several years. Shortly after my first miracle (I had a spiritual experience and was gifted with abstinence six years ago), my first sponsor guided me to serve others. She asked me to pick up members who needed rides to meetings, encouraged me to start sponsoring and chairing, and told me to attend intergroup meetings.

Service work has been instrumental in my growth and has woven its way into the fabric of my being. These are some of the growth opportunities and rewards I’ve experienced over the past six years:

• I’m less selfish. I work Step Seven, and I’ve become useful to my fellows.

• Service diminishes worry. I stay too busy to be concerned with life’s prob-lems for long. I am learning to live life on life’s terms.

• I stay connected to others in OA. Service helps me to practice reach-ing out and making phone calls, and I get to meet new OA members from all over.

• I’m never alone in doing service work; if I need help, I ask, which teaches me humility.

By keeping OA alive and thriving, I focus on what I can do to help those still suffering inside and outside our groups.

I enjoy taking on new challenges. It’s scary, and often I have no idea what I’m doing, but I tackle the job, guided by God and OA mentors who have gone before me in the service position. It feels good when I learn new things and grow.

Service gives me a lot of gratitude for my recovery, OA, and God.

It also helps me with being patient, with letting go and letting God.

I remember that God is in our groups and group conscience. I may not always get my way, and it’s okay because I’m learning to grow up emotionally.

As always, Tradition Twelve (“placing principles before personalities”) keeps me coming back to serve at all levels. It’s no mistake that there is a whole chapter in the Big Book on working with oth-ers. Service is slimming, but oh so much more. It still amazes me that OA members are not armwrestling to do service work at all levels.

I pray for the day that all OA members say “Yes” to service.

— Kim B., Racine, Wisconsin USA

26 Lifeline A Meeting on the Go

Ask-It Basket

To read previous Ask-It Basket questions and answers, visit oa.org/groupsservice-bodies/resources/ask-it-basket/.

My intergroup wants to have a person avail-able to return messages from our OA num-ber. Does OA distribute a guideline with recommendations for carrying the message in this way?

At oa.org there is a sample script of a greeting to record on your intergroup’s answering system. You can find it at

oa.org/files/pdf/hotline-message.pdf or by searching “hotline.”Second, the new Carrying the Message wallet card available at bookstore.oa.org

(#425, $.40 each or #425K, $36.00, pack of 100) has great suggestions for what to say and what not to say when speaking to someone about OA for the first time. You may also download a PDF document with this information at oa.org/files/pdf/carrying_the_message.pdf or by searching “carrying” on the OA website.

— Members of the Board of Trustees provide answers to Ask-It Basket questions

May/June 2016 www.oa.org 27

Send Us Your Stories! The next deadlines for Lifeline are . . .May 15 Changing Me, Not the Program How do you use program to “build a bridge and get over it”? What steps have you had to take to “get over” yourself ? How did Step Two help you “resign from the debating society” (AA Twelve and Twelve, p. 26) and get on with recovery?

June 15 Get Motivated with Slogans How do slogans fit into your recovery routine? How do slogans help you with compulsive urges? How do slogans help with cravings? What slogans help you get unstuck and move toward recovery?

July 15 Calling My Higher Power, International Day Experiencing Abstinence, Celebrate the Season, and Twelfth Step Within Day Search “share your story” on oa.org for detailed infor- mation about these four topics.

Send stories to info@oa.org with the subject line “Lifeline.” For more instructions, see oa.org.

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The Twelve Traditions 1. Our common welfare should come

first; personal recovery depends upon OA unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for OA membership is a desire to stop eating compulsively.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or OA as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the compulsive overeater who still suffers.

6. An OA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the OA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.

7. Every OA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. OA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the OA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television, and other public media of communication.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all these Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

The Twelve Steps 1. We admitted we were powerless

over food—that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Permission to use the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous for adaptation granted by AA World Services, Inc.

1. Do I eat when I’m not hungry, or not eat when my body needs nourishment?

2. Do I go on eating binges for no apparent reason, sometimes eating until I’m stuffed or even feel sick?

3. Do I have feelings of guilt, shame, or embarrassment about my weight or the way I eat?

4. Do I eat sensibly in front of others and then make up for it when I am alone?

5. Is my eating affecting my health or the way I live my life?

6. When my emotions are intense—whether positive or negative—do I find myself reaching for food?

7. Do my eating behaviors make me or others unhappy?

8. Have I ever used laxatives, vomiting, diuretics, excessive exercise, diet pills, shots, or other medical interventions (including surgery) to try to control my weight?

9. Do I fast or severely restrict my food intake to control my weight?

10. Do I fantasize about how much better life would be if I were a different size or weight?

11. Do I need to chew or have something in my mouth all the time: food, gum, mints, candies, or beverages?

12. Have I ever eaten food that is burned, frozen, or spoiled; from containers in the grocery store; or out of the garbage?

13. Are there certain foods I can’t stop eating after having the first bite?

14. Have I lost weight with a diet or “period of control” only to be followed by bouts of uncontrolled eating and/or weight gain?

15. Do I spend too much time thinking about food, arguing with myself about whether or what to eat, planning the next diet or exercise cure, or counting calories?

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Is Food a Problem for You?

For More Information:

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